Environmental burden of disease

Our Environmental Burden of Disease Study aims to estimate the health impact of environmental risk factors in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This study provides useful evidence for policymakers. The evidence can be used to prioritise environmental risk factors, depending on their health impact. 

Surveillance Reports and Metadata

Report: Burden of disease from second-hand smoke in New Zealand Download report PDF

Burden of disease due to second-hand smoke

In 2016, we released a report on the burden of disease from second-hand smoke exposure in New Zealand.

Key findings:

  • An estimated 104 people died from second-hand smoke exposure in New Zealand in 2010.

  • About 1989 healthy years of life (DALYs) were lost due to second-hand smoke in 2010. Most of the health loss (84%) was due to premature death.

  • Children and Māori were disproportionately affected by second-hand smoke exposure.

Other topics for our study

We are currently working on burden of estimates for the following environmental risks:

  • UV exposure

  • lead.

Measures of the health burden include:

  • deaths

  • hospitalisations

  • DALYs (disability-adjusted life years), which indicate the number of healthy life-years lost due to premature mortality and illness.

We follow guidance from the World Health Organization environmental burden of disease methodologies.

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